Jan. 24, 2001
By BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer
TUCSON, Ariz. - Jason Gardner had a career-high six 3-pointers and Gilbert Arenas made four as No. 12 Arizona beat Arizona State 86-75 Wednesday night to keep the Sun Devils winless in the Pac-10.
Gardner scored 22 points and Arenas had 23 as the Wildcats (13-5, 6-1) won their fifth straight and beat the Sun Devils for the 11th time in a row.
It was the first time this season the Wildcats' starting sophomore guards both scored over 20 points in the same game.
Arizona State (8-10) lost its seventh straight and fell to 0-7 in the Pac-10 for the first time since joining the conference in 1978.
The Sun Devils played the heavily favored Wildcats tough most of the night but couldn't overcome the 3-point barrage by Arizona's guards and a parade to the free throw line by the Wildcats.
Three Arizona State starters fouled out and the other two each had four. The Wildcats were 32-for-44 at the foul line, compared with 9-for-12 for the Sun Devils.
Arizona State was called for 31 fouls, Arizona 15.
Gardner, 1-for-11 from 3-point range in Arizona's victory over UCLA on Saturday, was 6-for-8 this time. Arenas was 4-for-8. Loren Woods was the only other Wildcat in double figures with 10 points.
Chad Prewitt scored 18 points for Arizona State, while Tommy Smith had 11 of his 13 in the first half, then fouled out with 8:24 to go. Alton Mason scored 13 but fouled out with 4:32 to play. Donnell Knight had 12 points. Awvee Storey had eight points and fouled out with 5:32 remaining.
The Sun Devils used a rough zone defense to play the Wildcats close through nearly all of the first half.
But Arizona State scored the last eight points of the first half and the first four of the second half. Gardner opened the second half with a 3-pointer, then Richard Jefferson made one of two free-throws to put Arizona up 46-32.
The Sun Devils used a 12-5 run to cut it to 50-44 on Donnell Knight's short jumper with 16:07 remaining. Jefferson made two free throws and Arenas made a 3-pointer to boost the lead to 55-44. Gardner and Arenas each made a 3-pointer during a 10-2 surge that made it 79-60 with five minutes to play and the crowd began chanting "oh-and-seven."
With 5:55 left in the first half, Arenas made a 3-pointer to put Arizona up 25-23. As the ball went through the net, Woods and Arizona State's Chad Prewitt became tangled on the floor. Players from both teams joined in and had to be separated. After one of the officials watched a video replay, Woods and Prewitt each drew a technical foul.